Ketil Trout (Iceland)

Ketil Thorkelsson, better known by his nickname Ketil Trout (in Old Norse, "Ketill hængr") or Ketil Salmon was a Norwegian hersir of the late ninth century who settled in Iceland around 900 CE. He appears in "Egil's Saga", the "Landnamabok", and other Icelandic sources.

Ketil was the son of Thorkel of Namdalen, Jarl of Namdalen, and Hrafnilda, the daughter of Ketil Trout of Hrafnista. [Egil's Saga ch. XXIII.] Ketil was a man of great wealth and a close friend and cousin of Thorolf Kveldulfsson and his brother Skalla-Grimr. ["ibid."]

When he heard that Harald I of Norway was launching an attack against Thorolf, Ketil was among the latter's allies who set out to support him. They arrived too late, and when the expedition arrived Thorolf had already been slain. In retaliation for Thorolf's death, Ketil gathered sixty warriors and raided Torgar, home of Harek and Hrærek (the sons of Hildirida), who had slandered Thorolf to the king. Following this raid, Ketil loaded his allies, family and possessions onto two large longships and set sail for Iceland. They settled for the first winter on the eastern bank of the outer Rang River, but later moved eastwards and took land between "Thjors-river and Mark-fleet, from fell to firth, and made his home at Hof by east Rang-river." ["ibid."]

With his wife Ingunn Ketil had several children, including Storolf, Herjolf, Helgi, Vestar, and Hrafn Hængsson, the last of whom was one of the first Lawspeakers.

External links

* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/landnamabok/028.php Landnámabók, p. 28, on Ketil Salmon's settlement]

Notes